Friday, September 18, 2026, 11 a.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Aging
The Committees on Aging, Disabilities, and Finance held a joint oversight hearing on the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs, plus related homeowner exemption bills. Council Members Susan Zhuang, Linda Lee, and Shahana Hanif co-chaired. The Council heard several bills and resolutions, including Intro 978-A (raising the SCRIE/DRIE income ceiling to $75,000), Intro 307 (universal online application), Intro 1010, Intro 934, Intro 1033, a preconsidered Banks bill on agency training and outreach, and several state-legislation resolutions. Administration witnesses from the Department of Finance, Department for the Aging, HPD, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities testified and answered extensive questions on enrollment, outreach, renewals, and staffing. Dozens of members of the public and advocates testified in support of the legislation; the hearing also included off-topic testimony from EMS workers about pay and staffing.
0:37 Oh, one second. Okay. Good
0:37 morning. Welcome to the
0:38 committee on aging, joint me
0:40 with the committee on
0:42 disabilities in the committee
0:43 on finance, please pace your
0:45 phone on silent or vibrate
0:47 mode anytime during the
0:49 hearing do not approach the
0:50 days we are ready to begin
0:55 .thank you. Good morning. I'm
0:56 council members students want
0:57 cheer of the New York on aging
0:59 . I want to thank you all for
1:02 being here today for thi
1:03 simportant oversight hearing on
1:08 senior senior cities and rent
1:09 increase exemption we call
1:12 discrete and the disability
1:15 ran to dream. I also want t
1:16 osay thank you to my coal.
1:20 Cheers. Condom members Shahana
1:22 of the commedia on disability
1:24 and the Council Member Lynn
1:26 dalai of the committee own
1:28 finance for holding this
1:30 hearing joint with the on were
1:33 also hearing several bills,
1:36 including a number in the
1:38 committee, including a number
1:40 in the committee on aging in
1:43 short 1011 sponsored by
1:47 eto before tenants thatuld
1:55 information could included the
1:57 name address and a phone
1:58 number of the older doubts
2:04 occupants.
2:05 It could also require to
2:07 provide the information t
2:10 othose tenants about a brand
2:12 available legal assistant pre
2:16 consider in Shaun number t 20
2:21 20 26 25 46, also sponsored by
2:22 a Council Member merely also
2:25 required nafta in come can
2:29 consultation with cabinet for
2:30 order New yorkers to develop
2:34 an informational talk it about
2:36 programs, benefits and the
2:38 services available to older
2:42 adults proposed resolution 555
2:44 8 sponsored by a council
2:46 member cca bomb
2:47 . Calls own New York state
2:50 legislation to pass and the
2:50 governor to sign 22 28 52 32,
2:58 which could allowed municipal
3:01 court and look
3:05 , local ladies that have a
3:07 senior season rain to
3:09 increasing damaging program t
3:13 ouse an automatic in a row
3:16 program for eligible senior t
3:19 obe automatic, particularly
3:21 arrow automatically re enroll
3:22 in the program resolution 5 1
3:25 2, which I have sponsored.
3:28 Could I call upon New York
3:30 state. Let's later to pass and
3:32 the government to sign as 4252
3:39 8 10 7 21 to provide for, can
3:41 you knew and rent increase
3:43 exemption or dispel it rent
3:45 increase exemption benefits.
3:49 After a peer of in
3:50 eligibility due to a head of a
3:55 household temporary increase
3:58 in income and the finally
3:59 proposal revolution 16 a,
4:02 which I also sponsored could
4:04 call on New yorktate s
4:06 legislator to pass and the
4:08 government to sign legislation
4:09 authorised the City of New
4:11 York to provide for exemption
4:15 from real estate exempt exempt
4:18 tech station to homeowner
4:19 eligibility for the cities and
4:25 homeowner's exemption and
4:25 those household only a source
4:27 of income is social security
4:30 for the ability is an issue
4:32 that also many adrienne about
4:34 New yorkers as struggle with
4:35 and that's it's can make the
4:39 difference between whether
4:40 people are able to remain in
4:42 this City or not, but
4:44 especially true for older New
4:47 yorkers a 2025 different needs
4:53 . Assessment of order doubts
4:53 founded that one or four other
4:58 doubts surveyed the
4:58 responsible they lack of st
5:01 stable housing either because
5:03 their fear of losing their
5:04 housing in the future or
5:06 because their current lack of
5:09 housing, other doubts are
5:11 often brent rent burdened
5:13 means better. They spend more
5:15 than 30% of the u on housing
5:18 while leaving on fixing. Come.
5:19 This is a y programs such as
5:23 screen our critical to assure
5:25 a little bit eligible or
5:28 thereabouts, not a burned by
5:30 raising rates for so many
5:32 other doubts living on fixed
5:34 income. Even the slightest
5:36 rent increased camp represents
5:40 the difference between being
5:41 able to afford basic needs
5:45 like rent, food, medicine and
5:48 the transportation or not
5:51 screen is intended to protect
5:53 the seniors from such a rent
5:55 increase also in that property
5:58 owners to received up
6:02 . Corresponding properly tax
6:04 benefit while program that
6:07 scree exists, there are only
6:09 effective if people know about
6:10 them, many eligible older New
6:13 yorkers are aware of this
6:15 program this needed to do
6:17 better at assuring everyone
6:18 has the excess to the benefit
6:21 that they are entitled t
6:24 obeyond awareness this program
6:26 also run more efficiently and
6:28 the impact fully if specific,
6:31 changes that were made t
6:31 oimprove the program, there are
6:34 many barrier to being hanged,
6:36 rome and the u of those
6:38 programs, for example,
6:41 providing certain document in
6:42 order to complete the
6:43 application for scree can be
6:45 overly burned in some and the
6:48 income eligibility ceiling I
6:49 nthe rent freeze program. Also
6:55 central a driver of under
6:58 eating heating element in the
7:00 program. Today. We want to
7:01 have a better understanding of
7:03 how the New York City
7:04 department of aging on eight
7:09 department of finance and that
7:10 the department of housing
7:12 prevention and the development
7:16 . Preservation and development
7:16 and then mayor's office of
7:19 people with disabilities
7:21 contacted.
7:21 To ensure seniors across all
7:24 lturcue ethic backgrounds
7:27 those who live with a those
7:30 who are limited english
7:33 proficiency and adults who not
7:35 have access to the internet
7:37 ,gaining information about
7:38 scree and the dream. We also
7:39 want to understand how the
7:41 City, the using the data we
7:43 have at our disposal to ensure
7:46 those who are eligible for
7:47 those benefits act actually
7:50 ended up seeing them. This is
7:54 our understanding that program
7:56 underutilized. We must work t
7:58 ochange that, but we also want
8:00 to call on our state
8:03 counterpart jewish to make
8:04 changes to screen the dri t
8:06 oensure more property owner to
8:08 participate in this program
8:10 and to encourage a system more
8:12 other doubts in in a and
8:17 owning among the many pieces
8:20 of legislation, our community
8:22 ,our comedians are hearing
8:24 today. We also I also sponsor
8:27 legislation that folks on
8:28 those calls rather David, 31,
8:30 called upon New York state.
8:34 Let's laced legislature t
8:34 opass and the governor to sign
8:36 it straight to authorize
8:39 provident tax intensive for
8:41 property owner who delicate
8:44 20% of existing housing
8:47 ehomelessness revolution for 78
8:54 called upon New York state.
8:55 Let's let him to pass the
8:57 governor to find as 35 63 8 1
9:03 09.
9:04 27 To permit other qualified
9:06 members of household to
9:08 qualify for rent increase
9:11 exemption and finally,
9:12 resolution number 471 calls
9:14 upon the New York state's
9:17 lates later to pass and the
9:18 governor to sign as 48 0 5 8
9:22 49 8 4, which could shift the
9:25 income, verification
9:25 responsibility for the senior
9:26 citizens home homeowner
9:29 exemption from local
9:30 governments to the New York
9:31 City department of tax, the
9:33 finance. Thank you to my
9:34 colleagues for joining me
9:36 today to and why is the aging
9:38 and all the other agencies for
9:42 testify and the to my staff,
9:43 Jennifer. So I'm most calm
9:46 committee staff anita key
9:51 kilometre. Sorry, just one
9:54 human, julia, hamas, um, worst
10:04 personally copy order emmy
10:08 joke jo's call and a brook fry
10:14 . Before we continue. I want
10:14 to recognize my colleagues
10:16 joie here with us today. We
10:18 have a Council Member mart
10:21 dinner was mama marone, Brewer
10:25 shuman hassan, obscene cabana.
10:28 Juan luis Mercedes nurses ah
10:35 Sanchez Banks books power. Ah,
10:38 we have on the abrio and that
10:44 I think also at door. That's
10:51 it, huh? Now I give the floor
10:53 to my coach here, council leap
10:55 for her to give us statement
10:59 .great. Thank you so much.
11:00 Everyone. Good morning. It's
11:00 so great to see all the folks
11:02 from the admin as well as all
11:04 of our amazing advocates who
11:05 are joining us today. My name
11:08 is Linda Lee on finance and
11:10 I'd also like to thank my
11:12 colleagues, Council Member
11:13 Susan drawing and council
11:15 member hannah Shahana Hanif,
11:16 are both co chairing this
11:17 hearing with me and we're also
11:19 hearing several bills today,
11:20 which will be included in the
11:23 committee on finance so bear
11:24 with me while I read these in
11:27 3 0 7 sponsored by council
11:29 mart would establish a
11:31 universal application and re
11:31 certification system for the
11:33 senior citizen rent increase
11:36 exemption programme and
11:36 disability rent increase
11:40 exemption programme
11:40 . In show 9 34, sponsored by
11:41 council members inca Felder
11:43 would require the creation of
11:45 additional annual income
11:47 categories and corresponding
11:48 exemption percentages for
11:50 certain households eligible
11:51 for the senior citizens home
11:54 exemption.
11:55 Proposed intro. 19 78,
11:56 Asponsored by Council Member
11:57 Farah lewis would require the
11:58 City to increase the maximum
12:01 income level qualifying for
12:02 exemption from rent increases
12:04 granted to certain senior
12:05 citizens and persons with
12:08 disabilities intro 10 1
12:09 0sponsored by Council Member
12:10 Christopher Marte increase the
12:12 maximum income level
12:13 qualifying for the senior
12:15 citizen homeowners exemption
12:15 and the disabled homeowner's
12:17 exemption and show 1033
12:18 ,sponsored by Simcha Felder. U
12:22 m, would.
12:23 Make certain informational
12:24 requirements for notices
12:26 concerning rent increase
12:27 exemption programs
12:28 .discretionary, a pre consider
12:30 bill sponsored by council
12:32 member Christopher Banks would
12:33 require the dissemination o
12:34 finformation on the rent freeze
12:35 program and training for
12:39 participating agencies
12:39 resolution 431, sponsored b
12:40 ycouncil member Susan calls on
12:42 New York state legislator les
12:45 . Sorry legislature to pas
12:46 sand the governor to sign
12:49 legislation authorizing
12:50 property tax incentives for
12:52 property owners who dedicate
12:54 20% of existing housing stock
12:56 to senior citizens and
12:57 individuals experiencing
13:00 homelessness resolution for 7
13:01 0, sponsored by Council Member
13:02 Susan Zhuang on New York state
13:04 legislature to pass and the
13:05 governor to sign s 3 5 6 3 5 3
13:10 5 6 3 anne a 10 9 2 7 t
13:14 opermit other qualifying
13:15 members of a household to
13:16 qualify for the disability
13:18 rent increase exemption and
13:20 finally, resolution number 471
13:21 calls on the New York state
13:23 legislature to pass and the
13:24 governor to sign. As for 8 0 5
13:30 394, which would shift income
13:32 verification responsibilities
13:33 for the senior citizen
13:36 homeowner's exemption from
13:36 local governments to the New
13:37 York state department of
13:39 taxation and finance this
13:40 hearing and the proposal
13:42 legislation are intended t
13:43 oensure that no New yorker
13:45 living with a disability and
13:46 no older adult on a limited
13:48 fixed income has to choose
13:50 between paying rent and paying
13:52 for daily necessities such as
13:53 food medicine he cooling or
13:57 electricity the rent freeze
13:58 programs administered here in
13:59 New York City by and provide
14:02 the much needed relief tha
14:03 tallows for a vibrant older
14:06 adults and disabilities
14:06 communities to contribute and
14:08 exists without facing cost
14:08 various to do so.
14:12 During my time as president
14:13 of a nonprofit providing
14:14 services to the very
14:15 communities at the center of
14:17 today's hearing. This was and
14:19 remains a prevalent issue
14:22 communities faced and continue
14:24 to face cultural language
14:26 barriers to understanding
14:27 ,accessing and making full use
14:28 of the programs designed to
14:30 provide them relief. And one
14:33 example is that we saw this
14:33 during public charge several
14:35 years ago. It is my hope that
14:37 today's hearing helps us
14:38 identify where those barriers
14:40 persists and what morean b c
14:41 edone to close them and as
14:43 chairs wearing mentioned. I'm
14:44 excited that we are able to
14:45 convene the agencies and
14:47 offices of New York City,
14:49 aging and m opd to understand
14:51 how we can maximize
14:53 collaboration on our end t
14:53 oensure the success of these
14:55 programs and
14:56 . To ensure that New yorkers
14:57 can fully take advantage of
14:58 them and are provided adequate
15:00 support and materials to do so
15:03 thank you to my colleagues for
15:04 joining me today to o. F and
15:06 all other agencies for
15:07 testifying and to the finance
15:09 committee staff julia, aramis
15:11 ,owen krakowski, margaret
15:13 barnsley, amman, mahadev even
15:15 and valid, and valeria lazaro
15:17 rodriguez also want us to give
15:18 a special shout out to our
15:22 helping out today for our
15:23 disabilities community, s
15:24 olet's give them around or
15:27 sorry raise of hands, applause
15:28 and now I hand it back over t
15:29 omy co chair council members
15:35 .thank you. Now. I passed the
15:36 microphone to consummate a
15:40 coach here come Council Member
15:42 for her to give a.
15:45 Statement. Thank you. Chairs
15:47 wang and good morning
15:48 ,everyone. I'm Council Member
15:49 chair of the committee on
15:51 do look younger today. I'm
15:58 wearing today. I'm wearing a
16:00 full sleeve black coat. I'm
16:04 not wearing glasses, which I
16:04 usually wear. I'm in my
16:06 contacts and I'm seated behind
16:08 a dais next to my colleagues
16:12 council members, all right
16:13 colleagues. It's okay,
16:16 thank you. Everybody just
16:17 looking at me. I'm sorry
16:18 everybody's making fun of me
16:20 right now
16:20 , thank you for inviting the
16:23 disabilities committee to joi
16:24 nthis important hearing where
16:25 we will discuss the disability
16:28 rent increase exemption or
16:29 dreams program in New York
16:31 City, nearly one in six New
16:34 yorkers lives with the
16:35 disability and New yorkers
16:37 with disabilities are far more
16:38 likely to have lower income t
16:41 orent rather than own and to be
16:45 severely rent burdened for
16:47 someone living on a fixed
16:49 disability benefit a rent
16:50 increase is not an
16:53 inconvenience it can be the
16:55 difference between staying,
16:55 housed and not the dri program
16:59 exists to stop that from
17:01 happening
17:02 . It freezes rent for a low
17:03 income tenants with a